With Books and Pranks For All!
by 26Chocolates
Summary: FACT: Lily Evans disliked James Potter the moment they met. FACT: Scratch disliked, she hated his guts. ALSO FACT: Lily Evans and James Potter started dating in their seventh year at Hogwarts. THE MYSTERY: How did it happen? In a world of magic, friends, hardship, mystery, and, yes, love, almost anything is possible, even something as impossible as this. First Year Till Marriage.
1. Chapter One: New Beginnings

Author's Note: I'm back, HP fandom, and hopefully better than ever. This is my attempt at a better Marauder-Era fic, with hopefully less OC's (though there will still be some, since there are some gaps that must be filled) and a more serious take on canon. I honestly spent two hours trying to determine which canon characters would be in which year.

The Harry Potter universe in its entirely belongs to Jo Rowling, including the Marauder-Era. The characters are not mine, save for the original characters, who I don't really feel like listing.

* * *

Lily Evans. Personal pronoun.

Eleven years old, redheaded, a muggleborn witch and the second daughter of Elizabeth and Scott Evans.

See also: infuriated, enraged beyond all belief, and _why are some people such JERKS?_

Lily Evans stormed through the corridors of the train, ignoring the mutters of the stringy and sallow-faced boy who was following her. Her only objective was to get away from the two boys who had made fun of her and Severus.

If all wizards were like this, she would rather stay home.

Passing by a gaggle of girls who were twittering about how cute somebody's butt looked in trousers, she let out a huff and peered into what seemed like the eightieth compartment. When she saw a solitary figure inside, she let out a sigh of relief and opened it.

"Hullo," she said, making the short girl, who had been staring out the window, leap into the air. She whirled and looked at Lily, a large blush spreading across her face.

"H-Hi!" the small one exclaimed, standing up and smiling. "You startled me!"

"That's obvious," Severus whispered to Lily, who shot him a look before looking back to the girl.

"Can we sit in here? All the other compartments are-"

"Sure! Make yourselves at home!" the girl beamed at her. She hopped back onto her seat and briefly looked out the window before looking back at Lily and Severus. "M'names Mary. Mary Macdonald!" When Lily slid onto the seat across from her, she found herself facing a sweaty hand that had been thrust into her direction. She shook it, making the girl blush and smile again.

Lily introduced herself and elbowed Severus, prompting a curt introduction. He ignored Mary's handshake and looked down at his lap. Lily looked at Mary, who was now rummaging through the bag next to her. She didn't seem as bad as the others she had seen, and she seemed around the same age as her, judging by how small she was.

"Are you a first year, too?" Lily asked, and Mary nodded, taking out a few gold and blue packages. She offered one to Severus, who took it, though reluctant. Lily looked at him and he shrugged, opening the packaging.

"Chocolate frog," he muttered. Lily nodded and accepted the offered frog from Mary. What she was expecting was a piece of chocolate molded into a frog. She did not expect it to leap out at her, and she let out a shriek. It jumped to the window and Mary grabbed for it, while Severus turned to Lily and quickly began to ask if she was alright.

It was at this moment that the door slid open, and a girl skipped in, brushing short, black hair out of her face. Upon seeing the situation that had unfolded in the compartment, she giggled. "Having trouble, Mare-bear?"

Mary blushed again and withdrew her hand from the window, revealing a flattened frog on the glass and chocolate on her hand. She looked at Lily and offered her a sheepish smile and a quiet apology. The new girl smiled at Lily.

"She does her best!" she exclaimed, and she perched herself next to Mary. "I'm Alice, by the way. Alice Lewis. Me'n Mare go way back."

"Our parents work together," Mary added. "My dad'n her mum are Healers."

"Healers..." Lily paused, and she grinned, remembering something Severus had told her. "Those are like doctors, right?"

Alice grinned. "Yeah! Only... Not so _barbaric_." After a pause, she looked at Mary, who shook her head. Alice shrugged and looked back at Lily. "Are you Muggleborn?"

Lily felt heat rising to her face, and she nodded. She was not expecting Alice's eyes to grow wide and for her to nearly bounce off her seat.

"That's so cool!" she exclaimed, and she scampered to sit cross-legged on the bench. "How do you guys live without magic?"

"She lives just fine!" Severus snapped, and the compartment fell quiet for a moment. Mary shrinked into the seat and looked out the window again. Alice, however, looked at Severus and raised a brow.

"And what's your name, grumpy?" she asked, only to be ignored. Lily sighed.

"He's Severus."

Alice nodded, and she grinned at Lily again. "How did you find out that you were a witch? Did you know before you got your letter?"

"Well-" Lily began trying to remember the first time she did magic, and she found herself being cut off by a kind-looking young woman pushing a trolley.

"Anything off the trolley?" she asked, and Alice and Mary both jumped up. Alice pulled Lily up and dragged her over to the cart.

"Pick anything you want, Lily," Alice told her. "I got it!"

"But..."

"Listen, if you're going to be a witch you need to experience our candy. Pick something."

"I recommend the chocolate frogs. Or the licorice wands. Or Bertie Bott's, my brother said they had some new flavors!" Mary told Lily. "Do you like gum? Alice, get her Drooble's and some pumpkin pastries. They seem safe."

Alice nodded and wound up buying a bit of everything. When they re-entered the compartment, Lily looked at Severus with a smile, only to be met with a thin-lipped frown before he slid over to the window and staring out of it. Lily huffed and sat down next to him, picking up a pumpkin pastry. In between bites she answered some questions that Alice asked and asked some of her own.

"What House do you want to be in?" Mary asked, and Lily shrugged.

"I don't really know..." she said, and she felt Severus stiffen beside her.

Alice smiled. "Yeah, I guess that makes sense!" she exclaimed. "You don't have to worry about tradition and stuff. My grandad told meeither Ravenclaw or Gryffindor... He used to say either go Ravenclaw or go home, but then my cousin got in Gryffindor, and my uncle made him stop."

"My entire family's been Hufflepuff," Mary said. "And then my older brother got into Ravenclaw. My mum was so proud."

"What about you, Severe-us?" Alice asked, and Lily frowned when Severus shot Alice a glare. Alice shot him a glare that was equally venemous, and the four stayed silent.

* * *

"This way, Lily!"

Lily hopped off the train and looked around at the destination. She really see a castle, only a massive throng of students and some horseless carriages. She could hear Alice's voice but did not see her, nor did she see Mary. She craned around to see where she was supposed to go and found herself being shoved in every direction.

A hand gripped her elbow and forced her through the crowd, a familiar voice trickling into her ear.

"You need to be more careful."

Lily turned and saw Severus staring into the amassed group of witches and wizards. Her irate mood from his earlier behaviour disappeared and was replaced with gratitude. "Do you know where we're supposed-"

"_FIRS' YEARS!"_

They both jumped, and Lily found herself gripping Severus' hand.

"This way! This can't be the lot of ye... C'mon, we ain't got all night!"

The man calling the first years to him was gigantic, swinging a lantern and nearly hitting a few of the tallest ones.

"Why's he so big?" Lily asked, as they joined the back of the group, letting go of her friend as they did so.

"Maybe he's cursed," Severus whispered, as the giant man shouted for the gaggle of first years to follow him. Lily looked at her friend and saw he was frowning.

"Sev?"

"Yeah?"

"You okay?"

Severus shrugged, looking around for a moment. "It all seems so real," he muttered. "And..."

"And?"

"What if we aren't in the same houses?"

Lily smiled. "We'll still be friends, Sev."

"Best friends?"

"Duh!"

He smiled, but in an instant it had vanished. "What if you forget about me?"

"_What?"_

"You acted like I didn't exist on the train."

Lily gaped at him. She didn't forget about him!

Okay, maybe she did.

A little.

"You could have talked more," she replied, jabbing a finger into his arm. "They were trying to be friendly and you just brushed them off!"

"They were horrid."

Lily let out a groan and a sigh, crossing her arms. "They weren't _horrid_."

"That Lewis girl was downright vicious!"

"You were a loose cannon."

Severus pouted, and Lily sighed, looking around before smiling at him. "I'm sorry... I shouldn't have ignored you."

"Sorry for being mean-" Severus broke off, and grabbed Lily's arm. "Look!"

Lily looked ahead and found herself breathless, grinning at the sight of the magnificient building perched on the mountains ahead of them, across a large lake. On the shore there were boats, and the large man instructed them to have four in each boat. Lily hopped into the nearest boat, Severus clambering in after her. They were joined by a mousy-looking boy and a tall, dark skinned girl who nodded to her and Severus as the boy leaned over the edge.

"Careful, Pete," she said with an Irish lilt, and she pulled him to sit up straight. He smiled at her, a blush filling his cheeks before looking ahead, as the boats were forced forwards.

"This is cool magic," Lily breathed, and the mousy boy turned and nodded eagerly, another smile lighting up his face, though this one was more awkward. Severus huffed and Lily gave him a patient smile before turning her attention to where the boats were headed. There was a wall of short vines, and she just barely passed beneath them. She turned to look at Severus and whispered, "Are we underneath the castle?"

"I think so," he breathed back. They fell silent, looking around at the walls of the passageway.

When the boats stopped, they climbed out of them, only the mousy boy nearly fell in the water. After a few apologies and many thanks to Lily, Severus, and his companion, they joined the group.

"Now, we're gonna head righ' up this passage, and once we reach the castle, ye lot ought to be quiet. McGonagall is tad more polite to the quiet ones," the man instructed. Some students laughed, with one calling out if McGonagall was nice to _anybody_, but the man only winked before leading them through the passageway. Lily stayed quiet despite Severus' attempts at conversation- there was no way she was going to risk angering anyone on her first day.

* * *

Panic and nerves.

That was the best way to describe was the small chamber was full of. Professor McGonagall- who was a tall, stern-looking woman- had led them here, and, after informing them about their houses and how the system worked. For Lily, most of the information went in one ear and out the other. She was staring at everything, from the portraits to the floors and every minute detail. She could hear some people whispering nervously, particularly the mousy boy, who was standing uncomfortably close next to her and ranting to the taller girl, who consistently kept trying to calm him down.

"And and and do you think I'm going to be sent home?"

"Pete, you're here. They're not going to send you home."

"How do you know?"

"Because they spent the effort of sending you the letter."

Lily inched away from the pair and turned to Severus, who was frowning and had his eyes locked on a pair of laughing boys. Lily took a second look and recognized them as the pair from the train.

"Ignore 'em, Sev. They're not important to us," she urged, turning her back on them and looking around at the other students. She saw Alice and Mary with another girl, who was consistently giggling, and was about to go over when she heard everyone quiet down. Turning to face the door, she saw Professor McGonagall had returned. She instructed them to form a line, which they did, and she led them out of the chamber and across the hall through a pair of large double doors.

Lily found herself breathless once again once she entered the Great Hall. Candles, maybe thousands of them, were floating, supported by nothing, and Lily wondered if it was the same spell that she had used to float off the swing set. Four tables, set with golden dishes, were occupied by many, many other students. The teachers were at a table at the front, and when Lily tried to avoid making eye contact, she looked up and found herself staring at stars. "That's beautiful," she whispered to Severus, smiling once she heard him agree.

They were led to the front of the hall, and they turned to face the other students, and Lily found herself hoping that she hadn't sat in water or dirt, as the teachers were behind them. A stool was placed in front of them, and a ratty hat was placed on the stool. It reminded her of the old Father Christmas hat her grandfather always wore during the holidays.

Then, the hat began to _sing._

"A thousand years or more ago,  
When I was newly sewn,  
There lived four wizards of renown,  
Whose names are still well known:

Bold Gryffindor, from wild moor,  
Fair Ravenclaw, from glen,  
Sweet Hufflepuff, from valley broad,  
Shrewd Slytherin, from fen.

They shared a wish, a hope, a dream,  
They hatched a daring plan  
To educate young sorcerers  
Thus Hogwarts School began.

Now each of these four founders  
Formed their own house, for each  
Did value different virtues  
In the ones they had to teach.

By Gryffindor, the bravest were  
Prized far beyond the rest;  
For Ravenclaw, the cleverest  
Would always be the best;

For Hufflepuff, hard workers were  
Most worthy of admission;  
And power-hungry Slytherin  
Loved those of great ambition.

While still alive they did divide  
Their favourites from the throng,  
Yet how to pick the worthy ones  
When they were dead and gone?

'Twas Gryffindor who found the way,  
He whipped me off his head  
The founders put some brains in me  
So I could choose instead!

Now slip me snug about your ears,  
I've never yet been wrong,  
I'll have a look inside your mind  
And tell where you belong!"

Applause broke out as the Sorting Hat finished, and Lily began to applaud as well, a bright smile on her face. For a moment, she wondered if Gryffindor liked to sing as well, or if that was one of the other founders, but when Professor McGonagall walked out with a long scroll of parchment, she focused her attention to not shaking.

"Come forward and sit on the stool when I call your name," she instructed, and then she looked at her list. "Ash, Madeline!"

A light-haired girl skipped forward, sliding onto the stool with a large smile plastered to her face. The Sorting Hat was lowered onto her head and after a few moments, it opened its brim and let out a loud yell.

"_RAVENCLAW!"_

Madeline Ash took the hat off and carefully placed it on the stool before running over to the Ravenclaw table, where a loud group of equally fair-haired girls of various ages were shrieking with excitement. Professor McGonagall lifted the hat off the chair before calling the next name.

"Avery, Julien!"

A boy with thick brows and a lumbering walk came forward and he slouched down on the stool. The Hat was placed on his head and after what could have only been a few seconds, it hollered, "_SLYTHERIN_!"

Once he had been seated, the next name was called.

"Black, Sirius!"

One of the boys from the train, the one whose family had been Slytherins, walked forward. When the Hat was put on him, it screamed, almost instantly, "_GRYFFINDOR!"_

Applause, though reluctant, rang out through the hall. Lily looked around as a few Hufflepuffs and a Gryffindor were Sorted, but the call of "Dwyer, Nimue!" roused her. Dwyer was uncomfortably close to the Es. She looked at the tall girl stepped away from her mousy friend and walked over to the stool, sitting for a near minute before hearing the cry of "_GRYFFINDOR!"_

_"_Evans, Lily!"

Lily, feeling wholly unprepared, walked to the stool with trembling knees. When she felt the hat settle over her eyes, she heard a small chuckle. "_Why, aren't you organized? There's no doubt about it, you, girl, are a GRYFFINDOR!" _He said the last word in a deafening roar, and Lily offered the hat to McGonagall with a grin. Once she was rid of it, she ran over to the clapping Gryffindors, but she glanced back at her friend, who now bore a frown, and she sent him a small smile. She sat down where a boy had made room, but recognizing him as Sirius Black, she turned her back on him.

The Sorting began to whiz by, and Lily only paid attention when she heard Severus' name called. She watched as he sat on the stool and reluctantly applauded as the hall rang with a rousing, "_SLYTHERIN!"_

The Sorting soon finished, and as everyone seemed to settle into their seats, a man with a long white beard stood. "Hello, everyone, and welcome to another year at Hogwarts!" he exclaimed, opening his arms wide. "I would gladly make a speech, but I fear it will have to wait for later, because I have forgotten what it was! Well," he paused, smiling, "I suppose we shall eat in the meanwhile! Tuck in!"_  
_

Lily gaped. That was the Headmaster, she was certain of it, but he was the least dignified of the gathered teachers, save for the large man who sat at the edge of the table, who had guided them to the castle.

"Dumbledore's a loon," remarked a blonde girl next to her, and she sat up as food appeared in the dishes in front of them. She smiled at Lily. "You're... Evans, Lily."

"Yeah?"

"Marlene. Marlene McKinnon," the girl said, as she piled steamed carrots onto her plate. "I remember names, my brother told me it's all the Sorting's good for, anyway."

"Oh." Lily smiled awkwardly, and reached for the roast beef.

"I'm a first year, too," Marlene said, putting a few carrots into her mouth. "Figured I might as well try to talk to some of the girls, since we'll be sharing a dormitory."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah. Do you want one near a window? I'm not really picky, but I'd rather one near the bathroom, since I-" Marlene paused and giggled. "Right. Not supper talk."

Lily shrugged. "I don't really care."

"Lily!"

Lily looked up as Alice and Mary sat down in front of her, followed by the tall girl. Alice beamed. "Looks like we're all here!"

"Mary!" Marlene exclaimed, a smile on her face. "I didn't know where you sat down, I tried to find you-"

"Yeah, it's okay," Mary smiled back. "Alice thought we should all sit together, so we found you two..."

The tall girl frowned. "You told me that we should find the other girls. Alice was the one who said her hair stood out," she pointed out, gesturing to Lily as she sat down. Mary blushed and sat next to her. She nodded to Lily. "Seems we'll be dormmates, eh? I'm Nimue Dwyer."

"Did your parents really name you that?" Marlene blurted out, and when the people nearby turned to stare, she shrunk down. "I thought I misheard it, earlier!"

The frown on Nimue Dwyer's face changed into a wide grin as she forked sausages and steak onto her plate. "I ask myself that same question. But it was supposed to make sure I didn't turn out a Squib."

"By naming you after a mythical figure?" Marlene asked, and Nimue shrugged.

"My dad is weird. So's my mom, but my dad especially." She shoved some steak into her mouth and fell quiet for a few minutes as she began to ravage her food. Lily turned to Mary and Alice, who were both looking slightly scandalized.

"What's a Squib?" she asked, and they looked at one another before shooting Marlene a glance.

"I'll stay quiet," she promised, and she began to eat as well.

"A Squib is..." Alice began, trailing off. She bit her lip. "It's the opposite of you, I guess."

"Born to magical parents, but no magic themselves," Mary explained.

"You're Muggleborn?" Marlene asked, and Lily nodded. Her eyes widened and she smiled.

"Okay! So I can ask you this, then: are batteries rare? My brother took Muggle Studies and he told me that they were, but I don't believe him. I think he wants me to seem like an idiot!"

"Don't trust Mark," Mary advised. "He convinced Lucas to try spike the castle with Dungbombs, and told him it would make the armor move. He nearly got expelled!"

Marlene winced after a moment. "Yeah, Mum was furious about that..."

Alice cleared her throat. "So, Marlene, your brother goes here?"

"Yeah, he's a fourth-year," Marlene sat up, looking around the table. "He's Gryffindor, but I don't see him anywhere. Whatever. He exists."

"Are both your parents wizards?"

"Yeah, but I'm not Pureblood." Marlene shrugged. "My dad's Pureblood. My mum's Muggleborn. My dad works with Mary's uncle, and that's how we know each other."

"Just about everybody knows your family, Mary," Lily pointed out, and Mary smiled.

"There are a lot of us. Besides, almost all Purebloods know each other. We're almost all family, too!"

"Yeah!" Alice nodded in agreement. "Like, me'n Mary know each other because our mums work together, but we're also like, third cousins by marriage or something like that. There's a family tree, but I don't really remember where it is, and it's confusing, anyways."

"What about you, Nimue?" Mary asked, and Nimue shrugged.

"My dad's family is Pureblood, but he's, y'know, a Squib. And my mom's halfblood, I think. She's from Madagascar, and I don't know if my great-grandma was actually a witch, or they just called her a witch doctor and my grandma was Muggleborn. All in all, I think that makes me half-blood." She shrugged again and shoveled more food into her mouth.

"How do you know the Snape kid, Lily?" Marlene asked, and Lily found herself being stared at.

"He doesn't live too far from me," Lily explained. "He's my best friend."

"He your boyfriend?" Nimue asked through a mouth full of food, and Lily made a face.

"No! He's just my friend."

"That's fortunate," a voice on Lily's other side said, and she turned to see Sirius Black, James Potter, Peter Pettigrew, and another boy whose name escaped her.

Potter smiled at her. "I don't think we've been introduced properly," he began, and Lily turned her back on him.

"Let's keep it that way."

If he protested, it was cut off by most of the food vanishing and being replaced with desserts. Lily let out a huff and turned to get some cake, praying that it would keep him occupied until the end of the feast.

* * *

"Does anyone care if I take the bed closest to the bathroom?"

Nimue sighed, sitting up on the bed nearest to the door. "Marlene, I don't think anybody protested the last four times."

"Just checking!"

"Alice, did you need to spread everything out like this? I don't mind, it's just-"

"Mare-Bear, it's how I get myself organized!" Alice exclaimed, throwing another quill behind her. "You know this!"

"I know, but do you need to throw it on my bed?"

Alice jumped up and smiled at Mary. "Sorry. I'll clean that."

Lily, from her perch on the bed near the window, sighed. She had just put down a picture of her family at the holidays on the table next to her bed when Marlene began to scream about a spider. It was growing late, and she was growing tired. Once Nimue had grabbed one of Marlene's shoes and dealt with it, Lily lay back on her bed. She frowned, sitting back up.

"Can one of you guys wake me up tomorrow? I don't want to be late."

Marlene, heading from the bathroom, shook her head. "I sleep like a brick. I'd need that, too." Mary squeaked out an apology, that she couldn't possibly wake anyone without feeling bad, before slipping into the bathroom. Alice ignored the question entirely. Nimue, however, nodded.

"I can. What time?"

"I don't know... What time do classes start?"

"Nine!" Mary shouted through the door.

"Seven?" Lily asked, and Nimue nodded again.

Soon, the girls were settling in their beds. Lily, the last to use the bathroom, slipped out and noticed a figure leaving the dormitory.

"Hello?" she asked, and she heard Nimue's voice respond with a quiet hello.

Lily frowned. "Aren't you tired?"

Nimue smiled, a little sheepish. "I was going to go to bed, but my mom wanted me to write her a letter once I got here... Wants to make sure Hogwarts is up to snuff, I guess. I just remembered."

"Can't you do it tomorrow?"

"Eh, it doesn't have to be too long of a letter. I'm not that tired, anyway."

Lily yawned, shrugging. "Well... I'll see you tomorrow, then." She heard Nimue say goodnight before slipping out of the dormitory, gently closing the door behind her. Lily barely registered it as she curled up beneath her sheets. She stared out at the night's sky, and for the briefest of moments, she wondered if Petunia missed her. A stabbing pain chased away that thought, and she closed her eyes. The word freak echoed in her ears, to be shooed away by the comforting silence of sleep.

* * *

A/N: Feels good to be back in Marauder territory. Feels strong.

Anyway, this chapter has a distinct lack of both books and pranks, but that'll get underway soon enough.

I'll update the next chapter when I get the chance, might be in a few days, could be a week. We'll see how things go.


	2. Chapter Two: Commencing Classes

At home, Lily would have been woken up with the sound of her alarm clock on any given school day. If she lingered, her mother would have sent Petunia to wake her, and if all else failed, her mother would have pulled her out of bed.

Here, however, she was woken by suddenly being very, very cold. When she opened her eyes, she found her blankets and sheets at her feet. Groggy, she sat up, rubbing her eyes. She heard a yelp and a thump. Looking around, she saw a disgruntled Nimue looking at Marlene, who was stirring on the floor. Alice and Marlene appeared to have the same treatment as Lily when it came to their beds, though Alice was already out of bed and digging around in her trunk.

"I'm up! I'm up! Don't pick me up-" Marlene, hair wild and with a bewildered look on her face, jumped up and patted Nimue's arm. "What time is it?"

"Just after seven."

Marlene nodded, looking around, slightly dazed. "Good. Great. I'm going to go change." She grabbed her clothes and slipped into the bathroom.

Nimue nodded in turn. She looked around at the three of them. "I'm going to go downstairs. Mary's already down there."

"But she never gets up early," Alice said, running a brush through her hair, frowning when the brush was caught in her hair.

"She did today. See you."

Once she was gone, Lily stood up, yawning. "This place is weird…"

"Yeah, Mark said that breakfast doesn't start until seven thirty!" Marlene called from behind the bathroom door. "I bet Mary's gone to the library or something."

"Doesn't stop them from hanging out there, my cousin told me that the Great Hall's open almost all day," Alice replied, freeing the brush with a yank. "Except there's curfew."

Lily made a face, grabbing her uniform and leaning on the wall by the bathroom. "What time is curfew, anyway?"

"Eight for us. Nine if you're fourth year or older," Alice answered, and she offered Lily the brush. "You need it."

"No, I don't."

A laugh came from the bathroom. "Yes, you do!"

Lily winced. "Bedhead?"

Alice nodded, giggling. "Big bedhead."

"Bad bedhead!"

Lily grabbed the brush and ran it through her hair quickly. "Marlene, you wanna hurry up in there?" she asked, kicking the door with the side of her foot.

"I'm having trouble with my tie!"

Alice smiled. "Get out here, then!"

The door swung open and both Alice and Lily did a double take. Lily's nostrils flared, protested the violent assault that swept out when Marlene stepped through the door. Marlene looked at both of them and held out her tie. "My mom showed me, but I don't-"

"Are you trying to poison us?" Lily exclaimed, and she ran to the window and opened it. "What _is_ that?"

"Did you set off a Dungbomb in there?" Alice asked, ripping the tie from Marlene's hand.

"W-What?" Marlene asked, and Lily stared at her. "I didn't do anything!"

"Uhuh."

Alice covered her nose and went into the bathroom. A few seconds later she emerged with a small bottle. "What is this? Essence of... Essence of Ginger?"

"It's a perfume!"

"It's disgusting!" Alice went back into the bathroom, and after a few seconds, Lily heard a flushing sound. "Ginger isn't really a perfumy plant, anyway."

Marlene blushed. "I thought it might help me concentrate."

"Why?"

"It's an ingredient in a Wit-Sharpening Potion," Lily answered. When both girls turned to stare, she blushed. "It says so in _One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi_."

"You actually read it?"

"I was curious! My mom was cooking with ginger and I noticed that it was in the book, and I didn't know it was magic! Sue me."

Alice smirked. "I wonder if we're gonna make it in class."

"It wasn't listed in _Magical Drafts and Potions_, so it might be a little advanced..." Lily trailed off as the other girls stared at her. "I was curious on what it did!" she exclaimed, and she slipped into the bathroom to get changed. She did so quickly, putting her hair in pigtails to avoid having to do too much damage control and ignored Alice and Marlene gossiping loudly right outside the door.

"Do you know any of the boys in our year, Marlene?" Alice asked loudly, and Lily rolled her eyes at Marlene's giggling response.

"One, his name is Louis Carraway! He sat with me on the train. He's a Gryffindor. And American!" The two burst into giggles. "Do you know any boys, Alice?"

"I know a few, actually!" Alice exclaimed. "One's a Gryffindor and a second year. Frank Longbottom. And the boy that was talking to you at the feast, Lily? James Potter? His family's Pureblood, old money, our dads are all part of some council or club. I dunno what it is."

"He's cute, too!" Marlene exclaimed, and the two began to giggle again. Lily made a face and opened the door. She tossed her clothes over to her bed.

"I'm gonna go eat," she said, and before the two could say anything, she dodged out of the dormitory. She had someplace to be.

* * *

Reaching the Great Hall was more difficult than she expected. Last night, she was led by the Prefects, but this morning she was on her own. When she had walked past the same portrait three times, she let out a frustrated little sigh and nudged her toe against the wall.

"Good morning, Evans!"

Lily whirled around and groaned inwardly. As if this wasn't painful enough.

Potter, Black, and the boy whose name she didn't know were standing there.

"This is the girl we were telling you about, Remus!" Black exclaimed, gesturing to Lily. Remus met her eyes briefly and smiled awkwardly.

"Hi."

Lily blinked, looking him over. "Hi." She looked at Potter and raised a brow. "How do you know my name?"

Potter smirked. "I pay attention."

"Doubtful."

"The Macdonald girl told us last night," Black said. "Just had to ask her who the redhead was." In a high-pitched voice, he squeaked out, "'Oh. T-That's L-Lily Evans!' She didn't even hesitate!"

"You were invading her personal space, Sirius," Remus said to the mangy-haired boy. "She would have told you anything to get you out of her hair."

Black rolled his eyes. "Whatever."

"_Any_way," Potter began, "We were just headed down to the Great Hall. Care to join us?"

Lily declined. She would much rather be late for breakfast (and, seeing as she left rather early, it was unlikely) and miss out talking to Severus than be caught dead humoring the bespeckled boy. Black shrugged and looked at Potter.

"I'll race you down to the Great Hall!" he declared, and Potter, letting out a laugh, agreed. In a moment, they took off, with Potter quickly gaining the lead. Lily let out a sigh of relief before hearing a small cough.

"Great roommates, they are," Remus said to her, giving her a weak smile. "I'll see you in class, perhaps, Lily Evans?"

"Aren't you going down to the Great Hall?"

Remus blushed. "Of course! But I thought you just said no."

Lily found herself flushing as well. "Well..." she began, and she laughed nervously. Remus let out a nervous laugh as well.

"They're a bit much?"

"Yeah. Let's put it that way."

Remus nodded, and the two began to walk. "They pretended to duel in the dorm last night. Peter- one of our dormmates- was caught in the crossfire."

Lily blanched. "But that's dangerous!"

"They shot sparks at one another. I think James actually used a spell, though... Peter was knocked back into a wall and nobody knows how. Our other dormmate nearly murdered them. I almost did, too."

"Yeah, you look really pale."

Remus's eyes widened. He coughed again, and for Lily, it clicked.

"Did you catch a cold?"

"Y-Yeah!" he exclaimed, nodding quickly.

Lily smiled. "I guess that's a sucky way to start the school yeah, huh? Especially a new school and everything! That's just the worst."

Remus let out an awkward laugh, rubbing his arm. "It's not that bad... I've been worse."

"Chicken pox?" Lily asked, and Remus gave her a nervous smile.

"Yeah... Not as bad as Dragon pox-"

"Dragon pox?" Lily asked, and her eyes grew wide. "Did you say Dragon pox?"

"Yeah, my uncle had it, his skin's a bit green-"

"There are _dragon__s_?"

Remus paused, looking visibly anxious. "Yeah?"

Lily let out an excitable giggle. "That's _so _cool! Sev never told me about dragons! Are mermaids real, too?"

The rest of the walk continued like this. Lily asked Remus many questions, and he would answer some of them, apologizing with a shy smile for the others. By the time they reached the Great Hall, Lily had some serious questions to ask Severus, such as why he never mentioned that unicorns _existed_. She was about to ask him if he noticed the Great Hall's ceiling last night when she heard somebody call out her name. She recognized the voice and beamed at Severus as he approached, choosing to ignore the look he shot Remus.

"Hi, Sev!" she exclaimed, and Severus gave her his version of a smile. "What's the Slytherin Common Room like? Do you like it?"

He shrugged. "It's okay. The other Slytherins seem alright, too. I wish we were in the same house, though."

"Yeah, but we can still hang out. Nothing's stopping that." Lily smiled, and she gave Remus a glance, who was standing there, his hands held uncomfortably at his sides. "Besides, the people in my house seem pretty nice. I've learned a lot about the Wizarding World already. How come you never told me that mermaids are real?"

Remus flushed. "He probably didn't know."

Severus glared at Remus. "I- I knew! I t-thought it wasn't as important, that's all."

"Yeah, they live in the Mediterranean or something," Remus said. Severus only nodded, and when silence fell, Remus turned to him. "I'm.. I'm Remus Lupin."

"Severus Snape."

Remus cocked his head. "That sounds familiar!"

"Remus!" another voice exclaimed. "What took you so long- _Snivellus._"

"I suddenly remember where."

Severus turned and glared at James, who stood in the entrance of the hall with Sirius and a rather frightened-looking mousy boy.

"Remus, I'm hurt you forgot what we already told you," Sirius said, mocking hurt and putting a hand over his heart.

Lily glared at them. "Maybe he isn't prejudiced," she snapped, and James and Sirius laughed.

"It's the truth, Evans. Slytherins are all the same," James said, and Lily rolled her eyes.

"You're lucky none of the teachers heard you."

"What are you gonna do, tell on me?"

"Maybe I will!"

James and Sirius roared with laughter. "Oooh, James, be careful! Evans is going to tell on us! Peter, this goes for you, too- no picking fights!"

Peter bit his lip. "Maybe we should go eat," he suggested, his voice trailing off, and the boys laughed.

"Or maybe we can stay and talk to Snivellus some more," James said.

"Just leave us alone, Potter!" Lily exclaimed. She glared at them and stormed past them into the Great Hall, with Severus trailing after her. She was about to sit down when he tapped her on the shoulder.

"I'm going to go eat..." he said, and Lily frowned, seeing the anger on his face. He stormed off before she could say anything, and she sighed, sitting down, as Nimue stood up and walked off.

Mary gave Lily a sympathic smile. "They're kind of mean, aren't they?" She looked down at her plate. "The two messy-haired boys cornered me yesterday."

"I heard." Lily sighed, and she scooped some scrambeled eggs onto her plate. "Did we get timetables yet?"

Mary shook her head. "Too early, I think. It's most First-Years here... Maybe we're a little early."

"Maybe." Lily took a bite. "Where'd Nimue go, did she say?"

"She's talking with the tiny one," Mary said, pointing with her fork to the doorway. Nimue stood, talking to Peter, mild disappointment on her face. "What do you think they're talking about?"

"Mermaids."

"What?"

Lily shrugged. "Dunno."

Alice and Marlene appeared in the doorway, inching by Nimue and Peter to skip over to Lily and Mary, giggling madly.

"I think Nimue has a boyfriend!" Alice exclaimed, and Marlene continued to giggle.

"Whoa," Mary muttered. "I wonder why she didn't tell us."

Marlene shrugged. "Let's ask one of the boys!"

Lily and Mary both let out a cry of, "No!"

"Why not," Alice asked, pouting.

"It's invasive," Mary said, and she quickly shoved a forkfull of eggs into her mouth. Lily suspected it was to avoid answering anything else. With a shrug, she took a shot in the dark.

"Maybe they aren't together! Maybe they're friends, like me and Sev," she said, and Alice and Marlene looked at one another before letting out a loud 'nah'.

"We can ask her," Marlene said, and when Nimue plopped down next to Mary, she gave her a big smile. "Nimue," she began, as Nimue took a sip of her pumpkin juice. "Are you and that boy dating?"

"_Wh-_" Nimue gargled, and she began to cough. She grabbed her mug and Lily heard something trickle into it, and she pushed away her plate, having a severe loss of appetite.

"There's your answer," she said, smirking. Nimue, still coughing, nodded and gestured to Lily. Lily, feeling triumphant, allowed herself to reach for a biscuit and take a small bite. The fact that she wasn't alone in having friends of the other gender made her feel a little better.

"Lame," Marlene muttered, and Alice shrugged.

"The boys here are kinda lame," she said, pushing around her oatmeal. With a pause, she looked at the other girls. "Is anyone else nervous about class?" she asked, and Mary nodded.

"It can't be too bad." Marlene waved a hand. "We should be fine."

Lily shook her head. "I'm a little nervous."

"As am I," croaked Nimue, before clearing her throat. "I have a feeling I'm going to suck at spells."

"Muggleborn," Lily objected, and she found herself sinking a little. They had known about magic their entire lives, and they were worried about classes. Maybe she should have read the spellbooks more. Or maybe she was being paranoid.

She still would have felt much better if she had read some more about the materials. She didn't want a disadvantage in her education.

While her dormmates chatted, she stay quiet, thinking. She resolved to write her parents a letter once classes were over; she wanted her mother's advice.

"Now... Ms. Lewis..."

A stern voice made Lily sit up, the first thing in sight being a green cloak. Looking up, she saw Professor McGonagall and a stack of parchment. She handed Alice her timetable.

"Ms. Macdonald, Ms. McKinnon..." she muttered, flicking through the pile to pull out two timetables and handing them to each girl. "Ms. Evans," she added, looking down at Lily, and Lily was handed her timetable.

She was about to say something, but a loud outburst at the end of the table made the professor snap her head in that direction. She thrust Nimue's timetable to her and stormed off, exclaiming something to Mister Carraway.

Lily peered down at her timetable. First, she had Transfiguration, and checking Marlene's, she found she had the same. Everything seemed okay- double potions after lunch, which made her stomach turn, but when she saw it was with the Slytherins, she smiled a little.

Friday's first class made her bite her lip, though.

"Flying?" she asked, and the other girls nodded.

"I think it's an introduction..." Alice said. "I mean, they can't expect all of us to know how to fly, Quidditch teams would have no Muggleborns! So they teach us all. It should be fun."

"Lily, you know what Quidditch is?" Marlene asked, and Lily shrugged.

"Kind of. Sev said it was a sport. What does it have to do with flying?"

"It's played on brooms."

Lily's eyes grew wide. "What?"

"Flying brooms," Nimue said. "Not Muggle brooms." She smirked. "My mum's old boyfriend learned that one the hard way."

"Did he try to fly on it?" Alice asked, and Nimue shook her head.

"He tried to clean with my mum's old one. Mum hasn't invited any of her Muggle boyfriends over since."

"That happened to my aunt!" Marlene exclaimed. "My uncle married a Muggle, and she was pretty accepting of magic and stuff, and but she mistook his broom for one of the Muggle ones. It was an interesting Christmas!"

"Was she okay?" Lily asked, and Marlene's eye grew wide.

"Of course!" she exclaimed. "She wasn't hurt, or anything-" she was cut off by Nimue assuring Lily that her mother's old boyfriend, despite being scared and confused, was unharmed. "It just started flying around."

Lily bit her lip, but the bell rang, and she and the others looked at one another.

"To Transfiguration?" Lily asked, and the other girls nodded. She smiled as she walked with them out of the Hall. "Let's do this."

* * *

"I never want to experience another Transfiguration class agaaain," Marlene groaned, shuffling out of the class.

"I thought it was alright," Lily said. It seemed like useful magic to her, and Professor McGonagall seemed like the type of teacher that would be nice to you if you tried. She was a little glad that she wasn't the least knowledgeable when it came to magic- her match even looked a little pointed and shiny by the end of class.

"You're only saying that because she smiled at you," Marlene snapped.

"You're only saying _that_ because you lit your match by accident," Alice replied, and Nimue smirked, nudging Marlene.

"What do we have next?" Mary asked, and Lily pulled out her timetable.

"History of Magic," Lily said, her finger trailing down the parchment. "And double Potions after lunch."

"History of Magic sounds interesting," Nimue commented. Marlene groaned.

"Mark says that it's a real snore."

Mary smiled. "But Mark always lies. It's gonna be all about wars, I bet. _Magic _wars."

"That sounds cool."

"Mark says that it's all on Goblins."

"Goblins are interesting," Lily said. "They're the funny little chaps at the bank, right?"

Marlene nodded, and Nimue smirked. "I don't recommend calling them 'funny little chaps' when you're near one, though. They're smart and vicious."

"They seemed nice enough when I was exchanging money..."

Alice shrugged. "They like shiny stuff. Maybe that's why they were nice."

"Muggle money, though?"

Alice shrugged again. "It's money. Probably good enough for them."

"Again, don't let them hear you say that."

Lily looked at Nimue. "Bad experience?"

"Mum dated a Cursebreaker."

"A _what_?"

Mary looked around. "We should probably hurry to class, guys... I don't know where we are."

Lily followed her movement and bit her lip. "Neither do I..."

Marlene copied Lily and Mary. "Hang on..." she paused, and smirked. "MARK!" she barked, and out of a crowd of rowdy boys, a blonde-haired boy with a strong jaw whirled around.

"Well, if it isn't some firsties!" he exclaimed, approaching them. He rustled Marlene's hair and she fumbled to fix her headband. "What's your problem, Marly?"

"Where's the History of Magic class?" she asked, and he nodded.

"Naptime's down the corridor, and it's the door next to the painting of the unfortunate dragon tamer."

"Naptime...?"

"Off you go!" Mark exclaimed, and he shoved Marlene down the hall. His friends joined in, and pushed the girls down the hall. Mary stumbled and was lifted up by Mark, who began to carry her down the hall.

"Let me down!" she squealed, and he did so, laughing.

"It's been a while, Mary," he exclaimed, and he looked around. "We'd be be off, guys. Kettleburn can't be kept waiting forever."

"He always does that!" Mary hissed, pouting.

Lily gave Mark and his friends an odd look and led her dormmates down the hall. "Why'd he call it naptime?" she asked, pulling open the door to the classroom and sliding into a seat. Alice and Marlene sat with her and they both shrugged. Nimue and Mary sat in front of them, and they turned around. "Where's the professor?" Mary asked, and the Ravenclaws who shared the class seemed to be asking the same question.

Lily opened her mouth as a ghost drifted through the blackboard. She shut it with a smirk as he approached his notes. She gave a glance to Marlene, who was grinning from ear to ear. She leaned towards Alice and Lily, an evil look on her face.

"Mark's sooo gonna eat his words."

* * *

"And it's two for two, on the horrible scale..." Marlene groaned, dragging her feet out of the classroom. Lily followed behind her, a single sheet of attempted notes clutched in her hand. She went into the classroom with so much hope and she instead spent the entire class listening to a ghost who was about as engaging as a brick.

"Lunch?" Alice asked, as she held the door open for a half-asleep Mary and a tired Nimue, who half-carried the smaller girl.

Lily nodded to Alice's inquiry and began to shuffle down the corridor with the four others. She was eager to get something to eat. She yawned. "Anybody else feel betrayed?"

Alice nodded. "One would think a _ghost _would be a little interesting."

"He sounds like a vacuum cleaner," Lily groaned, "One that sucks out your energy and hopes and dreams."

"What's a vacuum cleaner?" Alice asked, and Lily sighed.

"It's a thing. A thing that Muggles use to clean. Sucks up all the rubbish." She shoved the parchment in her bag and rubbed her eyes. "I'd explain more... but... I just..."

"Lack of energy and hopes and dreams," Nimue muttered, and she stumbled when she tried to get Mary down the staircase. "Someone want to help me?"

Alice nodded, and she went to support Mary's other side. "So, does anybody have any hope for Potions?"

Marlene barked with laughter. "Not in the least."

Lily sighed. "Neither do I... But we're making p_otions,_ that has to be a little interesting."

Marlene smirked. "I bet most of it's theory, just to mess with us."

"Prob'ly."

* * *

Lily sat in Potions, eagerly waiting for her Boil-Cure Potion to finish brewing. She had already fetched her horned slugs and currently swung her legs back and forth, extremely excited. She looked up saw Severus looking at her- he, like her, was apparently also waiting. She smiled at him before he looked away from her quickly. The two boys sitting with him snickered.

"Lily, how did you get yours to look so bright?" Nimue asked, whirling around and biting her lip. "Mine seems dirty..."

Lily frowned. "Did you crush the fangs completely?"

Nimue sighed. "Can't cut corners, then."

Mary poked Nimue in the side. "Nim, can you count for me? I don't to spend too much time heating it." Nimue whirled back around and Lily heard her counting as she peered at Marlene's and Alice's cauldrons. Both of them were whispering, very intent.

"Marlene, how did you get yours to be orange?" Lily asked. For a moment, she panicked, but when she looked around and noticed the universal shades of blue across the class, she felt relief. Just for a moment. Looking back at Marlene's, she noticed Marlene's mortar was comepletely empty, though Lily's, Nimue's, and Alice's had excess.

"She dumped it all in," Alice whispered to Lily. "We're trying to figure out how to reverse the effects of it- Hullo, Professor!" she exclaimed, and Lily whirled around. Professor Slughorn stood there, peering into Marlene's cauldron.

"Dried nettles should fix that problem, Miss Mckinnon," he commented, sounding rather unimpressed. "Your uncle should have told you that measuring in Potions is a necessity."

Marlene flushed. "He... He did tell me..."

"And how is he, your uncle? Still brewing for St. Mungo's?"

Marlene nodded. Professor Slughorn made a thoughtful noise and asked Alice about her grandfather. Lily, tossed in her horned slugs and paused before lifting up her cauldron with a grunt and taking it off the fire. It wobbled and she bit her lip, yanking it to make sure it would stay even. She reached over to the porcupine quills on her desk, and, being careful not to prick herself, she put two into her mix. She beamed when the potion grew a little lighter and stirred it.

She was not aware that Professor Slughorn was watching her every move with a surprised look on her face. Only when she waved her wand and the potion turned clear did he let out a "Oho!"

Lily whirled around. "Hullo Professor!" she squeaked, nearly moving back into her cauldron. He had practically ignored her all lesson; his attention to her now surprised her greatly.

"Well done, Miss Evans, well done!" he exclaimed, kneeling over to examine her potion. "Very good work. I'll admit, I am rather impressed. I was not able to create one this clear when I was a First Year." He stood and brushed some dirt off of his knees. "Your parents tutored you, I suppose?"

"N-no, sir."

"Are you certain?"

"Positive. As far as I know, Muggles can't make potions, sir," Lily said, and she was shocked when he chuckled.

"Colour me surprised!" he exclaimed. "Full marks, Miss. Evans." With another smile, he turned and resumed his patrol of the classroom. Lily, beet red, took a vial and bottled some of her potion. She placed it on his desk and returned to her seat, feeling rather embarrassed.

"Nice," Alice whispered, as she moved her cauldron. "I heard Sluggy never really shines on anybody who isn't well-connected." She smirked. "He has a club for the talented and well-connected."

"That's hogwash," Marlene muttered. "My uncle's famous and Mark never got into any stupid club."

"That's because Mark never puts any effort into his classes. Slughorn probably thought he was a lost cause."

Marlene glared at Alice, who rolled her eyes and tossed her quills into her cauldron. She turned her back on the blonde and stirred her cauldron.

"Lily, if you get in, you have got to put in a good word for me. My cousin says the food is amazing," she remarked, and Mary and Nimue both turned around, the latter clutching a foggy-looking vial of potion.

"Food in what is amazing?" Mary asked, and Lily grinned.

"Some secret club."

"There is no secret club," Marlene insisted, and she tossed her quills into her cauldron. A hissing noise later and all five girls gaped as Marlene's cauldron melted. Marlene let out a shriek and jumped away, as the horrid-smelling potion splashed onto her, as well as Alice's and Mary's legs. Both girls shrieked, and Lily scrambled away from the potion, bumping into the next desk and tumbling back onto it.

"Hullo, Evans." Potter smirked at her and she sat up, angry. Her response was cut off as Slughorn swept over. He waved away the potion and looked at Marlene.

"Miss Mckinnon, did you remember-" he broke off, noticing that the three girls were covered in boils. "Come on, get up, all three of you, class is dismissed! Miss Dwyer, please help Miss Lewis."

Lily bit her lip. "Professor, do you need-"

Slughorn, helping Marlene stand, shook his head. "No, Miss Evans, go down to supper, your friends will be fine," he said. Nimue put one arm around Mary and the other around Alice and supported the both of them as they hobbled out of the classroom.

Lily sighed and slid off Potter's table. Potter, however, smirked.

"That's why you follow instructions, Sirius," he said, and Black chuckled. Remus, however, frowned. He got up and moved over to Lily, ignoring the jokes exchanged between the two. Peter followed him.

"Are you alright?" he asked, and Lily nodded. "The nurse in the Hospital Wing is very talented. I'm certain they'll be fine."

Lily frowned. "Yeah... I dunno, feels like I could have stopped it."

"It was an accident," Remus assured her, and he smiled at her. "It's not your fault, don't worry."

She nodded and bit her lip, slinging her bag over her shoulder as a third boy rushed over.

"Are you okay?" Severus asked.

"Yeah." Lily gave Severus a smile. "I'm okay."

"Good." Severus paused. "That was horridly irresponsible of that Lewis girl. She should have been making sure that Mckinnon wouldn't have done that."

Remus frowned. "I beg to differ. Nobody's at fault here."

Severus glared at Remus. "I'll see you later, Lily..." he muttered, and Lily frowned when he swept off to the doors, where Mulciber and Avery were waiting.

"Why do you even talk to that Mudblood?" she heard one of them ask, and she saw Potter stiffen as the three left the class. Peter frowned and looked up at Remus, and the two began to whisper.

"Prick," Potter spat out, and Lily frowned. "Don't listen to him Evans. Slytherins are bad news. Snivellus isn't any better..." Lily heard him trail off as she stormed out of the class. She went to the Gryffindor Common Room, first, and tossed her bag into her dorm before making her way down to supper.

When she made it down to the Great Hall, she saw Nimue stabbing at a piece of steak. She frowned.

"Where are the others?"

"Madame Ward wanted them to stay in the Hospital Wing until the boils swelled down," she answered, and she looked up. "What's eating you?"

Lily frowned. "Boys are stupid."

Nimue nodded. "Did you fight with your Slytherin friend?"

"Because he's a Slytherin and I goootta fight with him."

"Because he's the only male friend of yours that I know of," Nimue replied, taking a sip of pumpkin juice.

Lily flushed. "Sorry. It's just... Potter."

"The glasses kid?"

Lily nodded.

"Pete nearly worships him. He managed to Transfigure his match into a pin in class, did you know?" Nimue rolled her eyes. "All lunch, that's all he would talk about. Completely ignored the fact that his sleeve was singed." She took another sip. "What did James say?"

"He started getting all prejudiced, said all Slytherins are bad news and that Sev's as bad as they are." Lily sighed and she twirled her spoon around in her fingers. "He's my best friend, I've known him for ages, I think I know him better than some arrogant jerk who's known him for two days."

Nimue nodded, bringing her goblet to her mouth. "What happened before that?"

"One of Sev's friends called me a Mudblood-" Lily nearly jumped when Nimue began to cough and splutter.

"He did _what_?" she asked, hacking. She wiped her mouth with her sleeve and frowned.

"He said, 'Why do you even talk to that Mudblood.' Is that bad?"

"And one of Sev's friends said this."

Lily nods and Nimue's frown deepens. Lily frowned. "It's really bad, isn't it?"

"Extremely. It's... It's a really nasty word. It means dirty blood, bad blood." Nimue sighed. She rubbed her temples. "It's a slur, okay? It's a nasty slur against Muggleborns."

Lily bit her lip as her stomach sank. She felt like something was suddenly stuck in her throat and she took a sharp breath before taking a large sip of pumpkin juice.

"It's rubbish," Nimue insisted. "It's just blood-purist rubbish, Lily. The people who think that are all going to end up with eggs on their faces- just watch."

"Lily!"

"Nimue!"

Lily looked up briefly. Alice and Mary were there, and the two hurried over to them, grins on their faces. When their eyes met Lily's, they both faltered and frowned. Mary immediately sat down next to Lily and put a hand on her shoulder, frowning. Alice looked at Nimue.

"What happened?"

Nimue slipped underneath the table and popped up on the other side, next to Alice. She whispered something to her, and Alice glowered.

"Who said it?"

"Who said what?" Mary asked, and Lily saw Alice mouth the despised word. Mary gasped and gave Lily a hug.

"Where's Marlene?" Lily asked, and the three girls took a step back, with Nimue and Alice sitting on the bench. Lily, grateful for her space, took a sip of pumpkin juice as Alice and Mary both tried talking at the same time.

"She wanted to to go nap..." Alice muttered, trailing off. A pause, and Alice turned to Lily. "Lily, ignore people who say stuff like that. They're just mean. And they're missing out- Muggleborns are just as awesome as everyone else."

Mary smiled. "If they don't see that, well..."

"They go jump off Everest." Nimue smirked, and Lily found herself giggling, in spite of herself.

"Let's go to the dormitory," Alice said. "We got some chocolate from the nurse."

Mary nodded and she smiled. "She gave us extra, too. Just in case we start to feel faint."

Lily got up, grinning back. "Lead the way," she said, gesturing, and Mary and Alice jumped up. The three began to walk out of the Great Hall, stopping at the entrance to turn round and waited for Nimue, who was leaving the table with a bulging napkin in her hand.

"I'm hungry and she's probably going to be too," she explained to Alice's raised brow, and Lily found herself smiling still. Sure, some Slytherins were nasty. Some Purebloods were nasty, too. Some teachers were downright horrid. But she found herself looking forwards to tomorrow either way.

It was worth it for the ones that weren't.

* * *

A/N: Wow. This chapter took a while, mostly because for the first half I was thinking, "this'll be the first day and maybe some of September and October and Halloween if I can fit it in". Threw that out the window for the second half.

Also, I can imagine Remus being a god-awful liar when he was a kid. He obviously got better because he had to, but this is something I will not budge on. He's alone, can't really rely on his parents to tell him what to say, so when he lies, he fails, since he's already seeing in the back of his mind what's going to happen if his lie doesn't work. He's a nervous kid.

Anyway, that's two chapters down, who knows how many more to go. Pace of the story will pick up after this, but I'm not sure how quickly it'll go, nor when the next update is. Again, it might be soon, but it might not be. I will certainly not pull a _My Immortal _and demand "5 god reviuws" and I will definitely not demand "TIN god vons".

I can't believe I just did that.

Next Chapter: Up when I can get it.

26, signing off.


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